That stealing potatoes was a very heinous offence, more particularly in women.
2, That women were notorious thieves, and altogether worse characters than men.
3, That beating women was an every-day occurrence.
4, That losing flour was a great bore; and 5, That in consequence of the above considerations, they would give Peerat, his wives, and son, up to me.
Each of these propositions was lengthily discussed by them, but when they were all agreed to, they came in a body and asked me, did I speak the truth, and lie not, when I said that I myself was not angry with Peerat and his wives, and that they should not be killed but only slightly punished?
I assured them that I told the truth, and lied not.

We then proceeded in a body in search of Peerat, whom we found with some more natives about half a mile further on.
DISCUSSION WITH PEERAT.
He waited quietly to receive us, not having indeed the slightest idea of what was the object of my unexpected visit; when however he heard what I wanted he abused his wives in most unmeasured terms, and assured me that he would thrash them soundly, but as to giving them up prisoners, or his son either, that he declared he would not do; and then very openly and fairly challenged any one of the other natives, or all of them together, to take him up, assuring them that he would spear the first man through the heart that attempted to lay a finger on him.

I interfered so far in this dispute as to announce to Peerat that I considered my own person as sacred, and I then cocked both barrels of my double-barrelled gun and concluded by assuring him I should shoot him if he resisted me.
All native altercations are vociferous and noisy in the extreme, and are usually accompanied with a great deal of running and leaping about and quivering of spears; these circumstances I now took advantage of, and, whilst the others threatened to spear one another in all imaginable places, I wended my solitary way towards Peerat's fire, where I discovered Master Dalbean, but could see nothing whatever of the ladies, who, I presume, were absent digging roots.
HIS PLEADINGS FOR HIS SON.
The young native was seized hold of before he could attempt to escape, and, as I told him if he now moved I should shoot him, he accompanied me very quietly; the others meanwhile capering about and abusing one another in the distance.

Peerat however soon found out what had taken place and came running after me.

These natives are always ardently attached to their children, and this the boy's father now evinced in the strongest manner: he first of all declared that the boy had been asleep with him, and that it was the mother only who had stolen; and he produced about a dozen witnesses who all asserted that this was the case.